Escape device for submarines



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narran s'r-Arssf HENRY Baci/vienen, or roar Horn, onranro, cANAmL ESCAPE DEVICE FOR SUBMARINES.

Application filed January 13, 1528. Serial No. 247,703.

My invention relates to improvements in escape devices for submarines, and the object of the invention is to devise simple means whereby the crew of a sunken submarine. may

be easily rescued therefrom and thereby obviate the loss of life which has usually been incident thereto, and at the same time removing vitiated air and supplying fresh air to the interior of the submarine, and it consists essentially of the arrangement and construction of parts as hereinafter more particularly explained.

F ig. 1 is a sectional View through fragmentary portion of a body ofV a submarine and my levice applied thereto. f

Fig. 2 is a plan sectional view on line 2-2 igure 1.

Fig. 3 is a plan sectional view on line 3 3 Figure 1. y

In the drawing like characters of reference indicate corresponding parts in each ligure.

1 indicates the shell of a submarine pro'- vided with an orifice 2. 3 is a cylindrical entrance chamber open at its upper end and provided with a flange 3X or any other suitable means for attachment to the shell 1 so as to depend therefrom into the interiorof the submarine. The opposite end of the cylindrical chamber 3 is provided with a closure l.

8 is an orifice formed in the periphery of the cylinder 3 provided with a door or other suitable closure 9. 10 is a cylindrical member forming an extension of the member 3 and provided with a iianged lower end 10X by which it is secured to the shell 1 by the same bolt securing the flange 3X and in such a inanner as to form a water tight joint. The upper end of the member 10 is also flanged vat 100.

11 is a cylindrical valve chamber provided with flanged upper and lower ends 11X and 110, the flange 110 being secured to the flange 19 of the kmember 10. rShe valve chamber 11 is provided with a laterally extending arm 12 formed integral therewith and providedwith a flanged outer end 12X.

13 is an extension to the portion 12 p rovided with a flanged inner end 13X secured to theflange 12X. Theouter end of the portion 13 is closed, such closed end being provided with a central orifice 130. let is a packing gland secured to the closed end of the portion 13. 15 is a valve shaft which is rotatably mounted in the orifice 13 and held from longitudinal movement. The valve shaft 15 is threaded. 16 i's a slide valve or cut-oh fitting guides formed in the sides of the valve cham- 11 and provided with an internally threaded orifice 16X into which the threaded `shaft l 5 extends.

By rotating the shaft 15 the valve 16 is Awithdrawn into the lateral extensions 12 and v13 soasto open communication between the `-valve chamber 11 and the chambers 1() and 3.

The valve shaft 15 is operated by the. following device.

17 is a standard secured to the floor ofa submarine and in which is journalled the lower end of a vertical shaft 18. 19 is a bearto the upper end of the shaft 19 projecting outwardly from the bearing sleeve 19. 23 is an arm extending from the standard 17 and provided with a horizontal bearing sleeve 211 in which is journalled a short shaft 25 to one end of which a bevelled gear 26 is secured. Thebevelled gear 26 meshes with the bevelled gear 21.

27 is a control wheel secured to the opposite end ofthe shaft 25. v28 is a bevelled gear secured to the outer end of the threaded shaft 15 and meshing with the bevelled gear 22.

It will thus be seen that one of the crew by turning the control wheel 27 may withdraw the valve 16 whenever desired.

29 is a casting provided with a flanged Vlower end 30 secured by bolts 31 to the flange 11X of the valve chamber 11. The casting 29 is provided at its lower end with an interior flange 3 2 which may be bevelled as indicated.

33 are double lugs extending radially from the casting 29 and between which are pivoted eye-bolts 34. 35 is a diving bell which is carried and lowered'from a relief ship and which fit-s within the casting 29z a slight clearance being formed therebetween. '36 are double `lues extending from the divino' bell in alifrn- E C D C ment with the lugs 33 andinto engagement with which the eye-bolts 34 are swung being secured in position by nuts 37 so as to draw the lower end of the diving bell 35 into tight engagement withthe 'flange 32, 'a suitable packing being interposed between the .abutting faces. 38 is a glass window formed inthe upper portion ofthebell. 39 is a handle which the occupant of the bell may grasp. 40 are cross bars upon which the teetot the occupant may rest. el is a pipe tor supplying tresh air to the interior oi, the bell 35 and 4:2 is a pipe for withdrawing vitiated air trom the bell.

t3 is a ioe b which an water in the interior* l y .Y

of the valve chamber may be drained into a suitable receptacle, the cessation ot the ilow of water acting as a signal to the operators to know that the bell is clear ot .vater and ready for release.

Having' described the principal parts involved in my invention l will briefly describe the operation ot the same. f

TWhen a submarine has been sunk divers place a diving bell 35 in position securing it wit-hin the casting 29 by the bolts 34. The interi r ot the bell is then drained ot water through the pipe 4:3 and one ot the crew then enters the chamber 3 by meansot the door 9, such door then being closed. Tlie'valve 16 is then withdrawn by tuthe hand wheel 2'?. The occupant ot -the chamber 3 then climbs through the open valve chamber into the diving bell, his feet resting against the cross bars 40, grasping the handle 89. The valve 16 is then closed. Upon the closing of the valve 16 the occupant ot the bell signals the divers through the window B8 and the diving bell is released by the divers carrying the occupant up to the `surface of the water where assistance is at hand so that he can be removed from `A`,the bell and the bell again carried downward to the divers and placed in position to remove another membei` of the submarine crew.

It it is desired to pass a man into the submarine, such man enters the bellkin the reliet' ship and is then lowered and secured in position by the divers who then operate the hand wheel lll to open the valve 16 and permit the man to enter the submarine, the valve being again closed by the divers.

From this description it will be seen that have devised a very simple device whereby the occupants ot a submarine when sunk may be readily removed and thereby overcome the loss of. lite us ally entailed in such accidents.

What l claim as my invention is 1. rllhe combination with the shell or wall oi' a submarine having an oriiice therein, ot a chamber depending trom such orifice having an entrance.opening, a closure tor such opening, a valve chamber located eX- teriorly of the submarine wall and forming an extension ot the entrance chamber, a cutoliq extending transversely of the valve chamber to form a closure, a diving bell, means for forming a sealed connection between the vlower end ot the diving bell and the valve chamber,V and means within the interior oi' the submarine tor withdrawing the slide valve. v

2. lhe combination with V'the shell or wall ot a submarine having an orifice therein, of a chamber depending 'from such oriiice havine an entrance opening, a closure for such opening, a valve chamber located exteriorly ot the submarine wall and torming an eXtension ot the entrance chamber, a slide valve eX- tending transversely ot the valve chamber to torni a closure, a diving oeil, means tor 'forming a sealed connection between the lowend ot the diving bell and the valve chamber, means within the interior of the submarine `for withdrawingI the slide valve, and

means controlled trom within the submarine for draining the water contained inthe diving bell when secured in position. Y

3. The cembination with the shell or wall "oit a submarine having an orifice therein,

such opening, a valve chamber located ext yloriy ot the submarine wall and forming an extension ot the entrance chamber, slide valve extending 'transversely of the valve chamber, a lateral extension to the valve chamber into which the slide valve is withdrawn when inthe open position, a threaded shaft journalled in such extension meshing with a threaded oriiice of the slide valve, a standard secured to the submarine door, a water tight bearing secured to a wall of the submarine, a vertical shatt journalled in such bearing and the standard, a bevelled gear connect-ion betwe the upper end of the shaft and the threaded valve shalt, a control wheel ifor turning the vertical shaft to carry the valve to the open or closed position, a div ing bell, and means tor Yforming a detachably sealed connection between the diving bell and the upper end oi' the valve chamber.

4. T he combination with the shell or wall of a submarine having an orilice'therein, ot a chamber depending from such oriiice having an` entrance opening, a closure tor such opening, a valve chamber located exteriorly of the submarine wall and forming an eX- tension oit the entrance chamber, a slide valve extending transversely ot the valve chamber to if'orm a closure, a diving bell receiving casting secured to the ripper end of the valve chamber and open et beth ends, a diving bell adapted to slip freely into the receiving cast- HENRY BRO, lllillll.

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